Ash-conveying system.



- A. P. STRONG.

ASH CONVEYING SYSTEM.

APPUCATION FILED APR- 6,1917.

1,301,194. Patented Apr. 22,1919.

ting, but having certain modifications in Unrrnn snares arana orrion ARTHUR ."P. STRONG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GREEN ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF EAST CHICAGO, INDIANA, CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ASH-CONVEYING SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 22, 1919.

Application filed April 6, 1917. Serial No. 160,254.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR P. STRONG, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented new and useful venient proximity to the furnaces and extending to a common point of disposal or tank, usually located exterior of the boiler room. A common arrangement of piping consists in providing a horizontal pipe extending along and in front of the boiler and a short distance above the boiler room floor, said horizontal pipe having a suitable numberof intake openings, into which the ashes are emptied. The horizontal pipe communicates with other pipes, ordinarily a vertical riser extending to the ceiling and a horizontal pipe extending to the tank or receptacle. Whatever may be the arrangement of' pipingin a particular installation, curved or elbow fittings are; employed to make connection between pipes arranged at angles to each other, these fittings having the general form of the standard elbow'fitconstruction, owing to the character of ma terial handled, namely, the provision of removable wearing backs or sections of hard metal, mounted within the fitting and forming the-surface of the passage therethrough which .is subjected to the abrasive actlon of thematerial, the same being manifestly greater at: the bends or-turns'where such fit tin s are located, owing to theabrupt change in he direction offiow of the material at these points. Although these wearing backsuprotect the fitting from the abrasive action, they nevertheless become worn and must be replaced from timers time with new ones. For this reason the fittings are constructed so as to permit the removal of the wearing backs by providing a cover or removable section of the fitting which extends over the wearing back and is capable of being removed in order to withdraw the wearing back.

In large installations, the correspondingly large capacity of the system requires the use of pipes, fittings, and parts of con .siderable size and weight, and for that reason the operation of removing and handling the partsof the fittings is exceedingly difficult of accomplishment by hand, owing 'to their weight and size, and further because the location of the fittings is often such as to make the fittings difiicult of ac cess for conveniently removing the necessary parts of the fitting to replace or inspect the same.

The purpose of this invention is, therefore, to provide a construction for a device designed to enable the removable portions of fittings of the kind described, to be easily removed, and further for; supporting the same when detached and moving the same bodily away from the main portion of the fitting, thereby permitting the necessary adjustments or replacement to be made under the most favorable conditions.

A preferable construction for accomplishing the objects of this invention is hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of an elbow fitting and the device in position for supporting and! removing the removable section therefrom;

Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the elbow fitting and the device; and

Fig. 3 is a-view in cross-section of the device, taken on line 33 of Fig. 1.

As illustrated in the drawings, an elbow fitting 10 connects a horizontal pipe or conduit 11 with a vertical conduit or riser 12, arranged at ri lit-angles to each other, the horizontal con uit being preferably located a short distance above the floor 13 of the boiler room. The elbow fitting 1O resembles, in general appearance, a standard elbowfitting, having a curvilinear central passage and provided at its ends with flanges 14, 14:,

to which are connected similar flanges 15,

15 of the conduits 11 and 1 2, said flanges be ing connectedtegether in; the Lissa manner by means of bolts. The elbow fittin comprises a main section or body 16 and a removable section or cover 17, which forms the portion of the fitting extending between the end flanges 14:, 1-1 and throughout the portion of maximum curvature thereof. The cover Or removable section is joined to the main section along the parting line extending at an angle of 45 to the planes of the flanges 14, 14-, there being provided on opposite sides of said parting line and integral with the body 16 and cover 17, a series of pairs of lugs 18, through which extend bolts 19, which connect the parts together in the usual manner. In the position shown, the elbow is so arranged that the cover plate 17 extends throughout the under and outer sides of the elbow, so that in removing the same a downward and outward movement would be necessary. The cover plate 17 is a hollow or dish shaped member which supports a wearing back (not shown), said wearing back having a somewhat similar contour to that of the cover and forming the surface of the passage of the fitting through the surface of maximum curvature. The wearing back is preferably seated within the cover plate 17 and fixed thereto by means of suitably arranged set screws 20.

Referring now to the construction of the device designed to facilitate the removal of the cover plate and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth, the same comprises, in gen eral, a truck 21 provided with wheels 22 movable upon the tracks 23, extending transversely of the horizontal conduit 11 and be neath the elbow, and a horizontally movable supporting frame 24 supported upon the truck 21 in a manner to be moved transversely of the direction of movement of the truck 21.

The truck may be of any suitable construction, though preferably comprising parallel side frame members 25, having the form of channel bars, said side frame members being connected at their ends by transverse frame members 26, bolted to the side frame members adjacent their ends. Fixed to the under flanges of the side frame members 25 and adjacent their ends are provided journal bearings 27, 27, each pair of journal bearings supporting an axle 28, upon which are mounted the wheels 22. Upon the upper margins of the side frame members 25, rests the supporting frame 21, the same comprising two vertical side plates or frame members 29, 29, arranged in parallel relation and spaced apart a distancesubstantially equal to the. width of the elbow fitting. The side plates 29, 29 are generally triangular in shape, having the central portionsremoved to reduce the weight, and connected together at suitable points by means of a number of tie-bars 30, .30. As before suggested, the

supporting frame 2 1 extends transversely of the truck and rests upon the upper edges of guides 32, having the form of angle-irons extending transversely of the truck frame andsecured thereto, the vertical webs of said angle-irons forming between them grooves or guide-ways for the rails 31, 31 of the supporting frame.

At two of the corners of the triangularly shaped side plates, to wit, the upper corner or apex and the lower corner adjacent the elbow, are provided notches 33 and 34, respectively, said notches preferably having a horizontal bearing surface and a vertical surface, the latter facing in the direction of the elbow. Just forwardly of each of the notches 33 and 3 1 are provided inclined surfaces 35, which slope downwardly from the forward edge of the notches at an angle suflicient to provide a gently inclined approach to the notches. The function of the inclined surfaces 35 will be hereinafter pointed out. These notches are adapted to engage pairs of lugs 36 extending laterally from the cover 17 and at right-angles to the plane of the side plates 29, said lugs 36 being preferably cast integral with the cover plate, and located adjacent to the line of parting or bearing edges, one pair of lugs, to wit, the uppermost pair, being located intermediate the ends ofthe cover and substantially in verticalalinement with the axis of the vertical conduit 12, and the lowermost pair of lugs 36 adjacent the lower end of the cover 17.

From the foregoing description it is manifest that the supporting frame is movable inwardly and outwardly toward the cover 17, in order to engaged the lugs 36, and, for the purpose of actuating the supportingframe, the following mechanism is preferably employed Extending transversely of the truck and intermediate the side plates 29, 29is mounted a screw shaft 37, the same being supported in bearings 38, '38 rigidly fixed to the upper'flanges of the side frame members 25, 25, said screw shaft projecting outwardly beyond the outer or rear side of thetruck At either side of the rails 31 and provided at its end with a crank handle,

41 having a screw -threaded bore, which'engages the screwshaft 37. By this mechanism the supportingframe of the truck is capable of beingmoved upwardly and forwardly by rotating the screw shaft 37, through the medium. of the crank 39, in the proper direct1on.-

Having described the construction of the device embodying the invention, the purpose to remove the cover plate 17 of the elbow 10,

. the truck is first moved along the tracks 23 to a position beneath the elbow, the supporting frame being previously moved outward so that the same will clearthc elbow-and pass beneath the same. The truck being brought to rest beneath the elbow,the crank will then-be rotated in a direction to-move the supporting frame forward in its guides until the forward ends of the inclinedbearing surfaces 35 will come in contact with the lugs 36, 36. By further rotating the crank the inclined bearing surfaces 35 will pass beneath the lugs 36 and by so doing tend to raisethe cover 17, that is, force it tightly against the body 16. Still further fmovement of the supporting frame carries the notches 33 and 34 into full engagement with thelugs 36, whereupon the supporting frame will be brought to rest, the cover plate being thus securely supported by reason of the engagement of the horizontal bearing surfacesof the notches and lugs. In this position the bolts 19 can be easily removed, thus disconnecting the cover from the body 16. Now, by rotating the screw shaft in the opposite direction, the supporting frame with the coverumounted thereon will be drawnbackward in a horizontal direction away from the body 16. When the distance of movement is sufficient to entirely clear the body of the fitting, the truck can be moved in either direction along the tracks 23, thereby transporting the cover to either side of the elbow and into a position where the cover plate and the wearing back supported thereon can be operated-upon for inspecting the amount of wear suffered by the wearing back, or,if necessary, removing the same'and replacing it by a new one. Furthermore, the cover and wearing back being entirely removed from the elbow, the body and adjacent parts of the conduit are clearly exposed for the purpose of inspection.

All the necessary repairs or replacements having been made, the truck is again wheeled back to a position beneath the elbow, and the supporting frame then moved forwardly by rotating the screw shaft 37, thus bringing the cover plate into registering relation with the body 16. When these parts are properly brought into contact the bolts are again inserted and tightened, whereupon the supporting frame is again moved backwardly and clear of the elbow. The operation hav It is manifest from the foregoing description of the construction and operation of tho 1 device that the same provides an efiicient, and

simple means for removing a cover and wearing back of an elbow fitting, andin such a can be accomplished with the utmost ease and facility, the removed parts being supported in the meantime in the most desirable position for making the necessary alterations, whereupon the parts can be replaced withthe same degree ofease. The use of the device herein set forth avoids the necessity of lifting the parts by hand and other Wise exerting physical effort in the manipulation of the parts, thus making it comparatively simple to inspect the fittings at frequent intervals, whereas otherwise it would be neglected on account of the amount of physical labor attending the operation.

a I claim as my invention:

1. "In a conveying system, the combination of a pipe connecting fitting, comprising a bodymember havinga removable wall section adapted to supporta wear section for said fitting, and means independent of said pipe section forsupporting said wall section when disconnected from said body member and for moving the same into and said pipe fitting for supporting said wall sectionwhen disconnected from said body member and for moving the same into and out of engagement with said body member and to one side of thelatter.

3. In a conveying system, the combination of a pipe connecting fitting, comprising a body member having a removable wall section adapted to support a, wear section for said fitting, a supporting member independent of said pipe-fitting and adapted to be moved into and out of engagement with said wall section and upon which the latter rests when disconnected from said body member, and means for supporting said supporting member and for moving the same to one side of said pipe fitting.

4. In a conveying system, the combination of a pipe connecting fitting, comprising a body member having a wall section detachably connected therewith and adapted to support a wear section for said pipe fitting, a supporting frame adapted to be engaged with said wall section and to support the samein registering relation with said body member, and trucks supporting said frame.

5. In a conveying system, the combination of a pipe connect ng fitting, comprising a body member having a well section detach- .into final supporting position. V 8. In a conveying system, the combinaably connected therewith and adapted to support a wear section for said pipe fitting, a truck movable beneath said detachable wall section, a supporting frame movably mounted on said truck, and means for actuating said frame into supporting engagement with said detachable wall section.

6. In a conveying system, the combination of a pipe connecting fitting, comprising a body member having a wall section detachably connected therewith and adapted to support a wear section for said pipe fitting, a truck movable beneath said detachable wall section and transversely of said fitting, a frame mounted upon said truck and adapted to be moved transversely thereof into and out of supporting engagement with said detachable wall section, and means for manually actuating said frame.

7. In a conveying system, the combina tion of a pipe connecting fitting, comprising a body member having a wall section-detachably connected therewith and adapted to support a wear section for said pipe fitting, a frame movable beneath said detachable wall section and provided with bearing surfaces adapted to engage complementary bearing surfaces of said wall section to support the same, and means for forcing said wall section toward the body member prior to and in the movement of said fram tion of a pipe connecting fitting, comprising a body member having a wall section detachably connected therewith and adapted to support a wear section for said pipe fitting-pa truck movable beneath said detachable wall section and transversely of said -fitting,a frame mounted to slide transversely upon said truck and adapted to be moved into and out of supporting engage ment with said detachable wall section, and.

a manually operable screw shaft mounted on said truck and connected with saidframe.

9. In a conveying system, the combination of a pipe connecting fitting, comprising a body member having a wall section detachably connected therewith and adapted to support a wear section for said pipe fitting, a supporting frame comprising side plates 1 spaced apart and provided with notches adapted to engage lugs on said detachable wall section and with inclined bearing surfaces forming the approach to said notches, and means for moving said supporting frame into and out of supporting engagement with said wall section.

10. In a conveying system, the combination of a pipe connecting fitting, comprising 'a body member having a wall section detachably connected therewith and adapted to support a wear section fo-r'sald'pipe fitting, a supporting frame comprising side ARTHUR P. STRONG.

Witnesses:

INWANO TORREHANE, H. R. WILSON.

Copies of this patent may-be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of'Patents.

Washington, D. O. 

